A heat treatment apparatus includes rollers that slide and move an image recording sheet on the surface of a heating member while pressing at least a portion of the sheet against the surface of the heating member. The temperature of a dummy unit, provided at a position adjacent to the rollers, is measured by a temperature sensor. The measured temperature has a relationship with a change in the temperature of the rollers. Temperature control is performed based on the measured temperature in order to adjust the temperature of the rollers. A cushion disposed on a surface of the heating member is arranged to moderate the pressure which is exerted by the rollers on the sheet. A pulling mechanism provides a tension to the cushion, which is detachable from the heating member.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a heating member which subjects a sheet to a heating process at a predetermined temperature; moving means which moves the sheet; a temperature-measured member, the temperature of which is measured, the measured temperature having a relationship with a temperature and a change in the temperature of said moving means, said temperature-measured member being disposed at a position adjacent to said moving means; a temperature sensor disposed in contact with said temperature-measured member so as to effect the measuring of the temperature of said temperature-measured member; and temperature control means which controls the temperature of said moving means based on the temperature measured by said temperature sensor.
2. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said moving means is structured by coating an outer surface of a roller material with a first elastic member having a predetermined thickness, wherein said temperature-measured member is structured by coating said temperature-measured member with a second elastic member made of the same material as the first elastic member with substantially the same thickness, and wherein said temperature sensor is disposed in contact with a surface of said second elastic member.
3. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said heating member comprises a surface which subjects the sheet to the heating process; and wherein said moving means comprises a pressing/moving means which slides and moves the sheet on the surface of said heating member while pressing at least a portion of the sheet against the surface of said heating member.
4. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a cushion member disposed on said surface of said heating member and arranged to moderate pressure which is exerted from said pressing/moving means on said sheet.
5. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising pulling means for giving a tension to said cushion member.
6. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said cushion member is detachable from said heating member.
7. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said cushion member comprises a fiber sheet having gathered fine thread materials.
8. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a sub-heating member disposed adjacent a side of said moving means opposite from a side of said moving means adjacent said heating member.
9. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sub-heating member disposed adjacent a side of said moving means opposite from a side of said moving means adjacent said heating member.
10. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a heater operative to subject a sheet to a heating process at a predetermined temperature, the heater having a developing surface; a plurality of rollers operative to move the sheet along the developing surface; a dummy piece disposed adjacent the plurality of rollers, the dummy piece having a temperature correspondence relationship with the plurality of rollers; a temperature sensor disposed in contact with the dummy piece and operative to measure the temperature of the dummy piece; and a temperature controller operative to control a temperature of the plurality of rollers based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.
11. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the temperature controller controls the temperature of the plurality of rollers by supplying a first amount of heat to portions of the apparatus not subjected to a heat loss during the heat treatment and by supplying a second amount of heat to portions of the apparatus subjected to a heat loss during the heat treatment.
12. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the second amount of heat is supplied to edge portions of the developing surface.
13. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the rollers comprise an outer coating surface of a roller material having a predetermined thickness, wherein a portion of the dummy piece comprises the roller material, the portion having substantially the same thickness as the predetermined thickness, and wherein the temperature sensor is disposed in contact with a surface of the portion of the dummy piece.
14. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the rollers are operative to slide and move the sheet on the developing surface while pressing at least a portion of the sheet against the developing surface.
15. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a cushion disposed on the developing surface and arranged to moderate pressure which is exerted by the rollers on the sheet.
16. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising a pulling mechanism operative to give a tension to the cushion.
17. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the cushion is detachable from the heater.
18. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the cushion comprises a fiber sheet having gathered fine thread materials.
19. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the rollers have a higher coefficient of friction than the a surface of the cushion that faces the rollers.
20. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a sub-heater disposed adjacent a side of the rollers opposite from a side of the rollers adjacent the heater, the sub-heater being controlled by the temperature controller and operative to provide a portion of a total heat to which the sheet is subjected, wherein a remainder of the total heat is provided by the heater.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 18, 2000
January 22, 2002
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